The first ingredient in this dog food is lamb meal. Lamb meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh lamb.

The second ingredient is dried potato, a dehydrated item usually made from the by-products of potato processing. In most cases, dried potato can contain about 10% dry matter protein which can affect our estimate of the total meat content of this recipe.

The third item is potato starch. Potato starch is a gluten-free carbohydrate of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The fourth ingredient is pea protein, what remains of a pea after removing the starchy part of the vegetable.

Even though it contains over 80% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

The fifth ingredient mentions peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, they’re rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, another factor that must be considered when evaluating the meat content of this dog food.

The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesn’t sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The seventh item is sunflower oil. Sunflower oil is nutritionally similar to safflower oil. Since these oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and contain no omega-3’s, they’re considered less nutritious than canola or flaxseed oils.

Sunflower oil is notable for its resistance to heat damage during cooking.

There are several different types of sunflower oil, some better than others. Without knowing more, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this ingredient.

The eighth ingredient is beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient, a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, this recipe also contains selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Next, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, this food also contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the dried potato, pea protein and split peas, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Nutro Natural Choice Grain Free Dog Food is a plant-based dry kibble using a modest amount of named meat meals as its main sources of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3 stars.

Recommended.

Please note certain recipes are sometimes given a higher or lower rating based upon our estimate of their total meat content.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

The Dog Food Advisor does not test dog food products.

We rely almost entirely on the integrity of the information posted by each company on its website. As such, the accuracy of every review is directly dependent upon the quality of the test results from any specific batch of food a company chooses to publish.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, due to the biological uniqueness of every animal, none of our ratings are intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in a specific dietary response or health benefit for your pet.

My dog has been using the Venison Meal and Potato for almost 2 years and has had zero problems with it. She came to us with red sores, constant itching, shedding problems, horrible gas and diarrhea. I tried several different high quality foods and none worked until she tried Nutro. I highly recommend this kind of food for any allergies! She gobbles it up and has none of these problems plus high energy. She is a very happy 3 year old puppy!

Betsy Greer

That’s exactly what I was thinking!!

Crazy4cats

Why are you sorry? I’m glad to see you found a food that works so well for your dogs.

M Goldstein

Sorry, but I really like this dog food, and I had tried all the super well-received, highly rated foods before finally landing on the venison and potato version of this grain free food. I had tried Orijen, Innova, Wilderness, etc etc. None have worked out as well as this product. A high-end dog food store recommended it, because the venison is easy to digest, and both my working dogs seemed to have mild allergies to anything that had feathers. I have had zero issues, stools are the best ever, the dogs eat smaller meals with satisfaction, no one is scratching… Coats look great, eyes sparkle, tummies in good shape. Thank you, Nutro. I was surprised. I do give this kibble to the neutered male supplemented with Party Animal canned food, also venison. The intact female gets just the Nutro.

Fredric Rapp

I see all these comments about how bad Nutro is. Not surprising they are owned by MARS inc. BIG companies buy out great natural food makers then turn that brand to crap. That is precisely the reason my dogs are now fed a raw diet. Prey animal raw diet to be exact. Research Raw K9 Diets. I am a retired K9 Handler and always had it drilled into my head that dogs can’t eat raw food. I have always questioned this as Dogs and WOLVES have pretty much the same DENTITION and what do Wolves eat? RAW Freshly killed prey!

I have had both my pups on a raw diet for over a month now and I started seeing improvements in BOTH of them almost from the start. Clean Teeth! Softer Coat! Brighter Eyes! Not so needy! More energy!

Google Dr. Karen Becker and K9 Raw diet, watch her vids. It took a lot to convince me to go this route, but I am glad I did.

Rick

Started using Nutro Natural Choice Grain Free a couple of years ago
for my two Miniature Schnauzers after being convinced by a Nutro rep (at
a PetSmart store on Saturday)
their product would help with skin issues. It did, in fact, help
considerably. Would still be using the product if the bag my wife
recently purchased had not contained dog food that appeared soaked in
grease, and a foul smelling yellow grease caked on the inside of the
bag. Returned the newly opened bag to PetSmart, where a manager and
another employee refused to even look in the bag. They happily refunded
my money and recommended a better product, telling me returns of the
Nutro product for this exact reason were becoming common. One worker
even told me the bags left a nasty grease spot on the store shelves
where they were sitting. They had been exposed to the foul smell and
nasty contents, and had no interest in opening the bag. Two questions:
1) What happened to quality control at Nutro? and 2) Why does PetSmart
keep such a poor quality product on their shelves?

Nutro uses ingredients from China<try Fromm they are china free and use premium quality

SuzmckayCanada

Dec 2013-Jan 2014 Fish Meal and Potato Dry:
Caused A LOT of hair loss in both dogs, but especially black lab. Staffordshire Terrier also has hair loss but may be less noticable due to shorter/smaller hair and smaller sized dog. As well BOTH had an increase in EYE DISCHARGE (white slimy eye gunk sitting at corners of eyes closest to the muzzle). This food was suggested by the worker at store as a great brand.

Going to return remaining and suggest NO ONE BUY THIS DOG FOOD: NUTRO GRAIN FREE FISH MEAL AND POTATO. I shouldve listened to the similar reviews but figured that it might work for us. Never going near another Nutro brand garbage product!!

We had our Mastiff on Nutro but our sweet baby later started scratching non stop and shedding very bad. Seems to be a common occurrence with Nuto after reading through some of these reviews. We have since switched to Authority grain free with different “flavors” of Simply Nourish 5-6lb bags like Lamb & Oatmeal, Limited Ingredient Sweet Potato & Salmon, Chicken & Brown Rice, etc… and her itching was gone and shedding decreased dramatically. Not trying to sell anyone on those 2 brands of food but i will say if your dog is shedding and itching a lot switch away from Nutro. Not sure what has happened to this product since it use to be great.

somebodysme

Stink eye, that’s so funny! HEEHEE! My dog did love it though, but she loves Zignature so much that I actually had to put it in a bowl with ridges in the bottom to slow her down, she was inhaling it! She loves to eat so much but she actually did not like Blue Buffalo, one of the fish flavors.

Freeholdhound

Tried the NV and Harry wouldn’t go anywhere near the bowl. Just stood and stared at me w/the “Stink Eye” lol. Next!

Kathi Crawley

Hi Liz – my small havanese was also experiencing excessive scratching/licking. Natures variety LID did not work since it is very high in ash. I was feeding my dog nutro’s grain free venison and potato and she developed yeast problems. Vet feels that she may be allergic to potato. I am now feeding her Precise Sensicare (lamb meal and brown rice) and my dog seems to be doing well. It has only been two days and she has stopped shaking her head and her scratching/licking of paws has really improved.

somebodysme

Thanks for the quick reply. After around 6 weeks on NV, my dog’s stomach skin and leg skin began to turn a blackish color…I felt that just couldn’t be a good thing. Not really sure though? It prompted me to change food though.

Freeholdhound

Just started transitioning about a 10days ago. I do long transitions with him. So far, so good & he’s eating it. That’s always a plus. I started to mix in raw grinds containing ground bone so I’m hoping all of the above will eliminate the ugly “output” problems he has. And, yep, small bags for me for a while.

somebodysme

How long has Harry been on Nature’s Logic? I have my dog on Zignature Lamb formula and she SEEMS to be doing really good SO FAR! It’s a very limited ingredient food. NV LID Turkey was good until I bought a large bag and something was just not right with it. I fed three small bags before investing in a large bag and that’s when she began to have some issues with pink ears again and watering eyes. The food in the bag also seemed different from the small bags? Strange! But I digress…

somebodysme

Did you do this test with your vet or was it a do it yourself type?

Freeholdhound

Starting off with the Beef. Then will try either the Sardine or Lamb. Thought I’d be able to try the Rabbit but it contains turkey meal.

InkedMarie

which Nature’s Logic are you using?

Freeholdhound

Hi. No, I’m no longer feeding Nutro. Harry did well on it for a while, and then he didn’t. As usual. I had the greatest success with Victor Hi Pro Plus. It isn’t sold in stores here in the NE but found a great supplier w/good shipping charges.
I’ve had the best results with Victor Hi Pro Plus – it’s not sold in stores here in the Northeast, but found a great supplier.
That being said, I ordered a Hemopet Nutriscan test for food sensitivity. I sort of wish I had bitten the bullet and done that sooner (NOT cheap at $200). But it confirmed what I suspected w/all those wasted kibble bags. Avoid : chicken, turkey, venison, salmon, white fish, sweet potato, corn, soy, & milk. Ugh!
I found 1 kibble that has none of the above, Natures Logic. I’m also starting to add in raw grinds to PM meal. It seems Harry can tolerate some things in a raw form. Chicken feet & sardines are doggie crack to him.
Every dog is different – good luck (and buy SMALL BAGS lol).

Kathi Crawley

Are you still feeding your dog Nutro’s grain free venison and potato? Just started feeding my havanese this food and she is doing well. I have tried so many different foods and cannot find one brand that works for my dog. Hope this food does!!!!

Kathi Crawley

Liz – just be careful with Nature Variety’s Instinct LID – my havanese was eating the LID lamb for three months and it did not work for her. She stopped drinking water, started to vomit and her stools were way too firm. I was advised by Nature’s Variety that the food’s ash content is anywhere from 8-15% and varies from bag to bag. My vet feels that the ash content is too high and advised me to change her food. My vet recommended Nutro grain free and my dog has been eating the venison and potato for a couple of days and is doing fine so far.

InkedMarie

I agree with you about the NV LID. I feed it currently. I still can’t believe a nutritionist would recommend Nutro! Good luck!

Liz

A couple of days ago we sent an update highlighting his progress to the DVM nutritionist that recommended Nutro. And yesterday we sent him an email about the inconsistencies with the kibble color and shape along with the company’s response. I like the Nature Variety’s Instinct LID profile and that they use tapioca instead of potato, and I look forward to discussing it with the DVM nutritionist next week… especially if all of the scratching hasn’t resolved. The scratching & paw licking that started about 14 days ago and escalated at one point, has improved, but isn’t all gone.

InkedMarie

Are you going to continue with Nutro?

Liz

UPDATE: I emailed Nutro yesterday about the different color and shape kibble? They emailed me this morning and told me to call their 800# between business hours. I talked with a consumer representative this morning and she explained that the grain-free formula is difficult to keep a consistent look because (1) it depends on the type of meat available like white meat vs dark meat; and (2) the potato starch consistency is hard to control like if it’s humid or not. She said it’s made in Victorville, CA, where it’s humid a lot. She asked for the best buy dates & code numbers (production dates & times) on the two bags that I have and she said she will send the information to production so they can pull their samples. I asked if she would like a picture of what I am seeing, and if someone was going to contact me? She said no – they will look at their samples, and no one will contact me. She advised me I can go back to the store and return it for another bag and to get a different production date, although she recognized that the production dates & times were different on the two bags we just discussed.

Liz

Thank you for your suggestion. I will look into NV LID. I’m beginning to think I would prefer homemade preparation, but some people have made me very confused with required “calculations” and all kinds of different opinions on supplements, and the local vet even discouraged it, and now I don’t feel I have adequate support & guidance…we had him on homemade foods while our healthy 4.5 yo dachshund was recovering from post op pain medication he was given after his surgery at the end of January 2013…post op pain medication that we were not aware of side effects, etc., until after his 3rd dose he was sick (and really by the 2nd dose we noticed he didn’t seem as alert as when we brought him home, but we never had a pet with abdominal surgery and thought perhaps with both the surgery and pain medication he was a little woozy as if we would be on a pain med-thinking it was pain med like darvocet or oxycotin – because the medicine bottle wasn’t labeled)…and when we took him in to the vet the morning after his 3rd dose, the vet said he’s just uncomfortable from the surgery and sent us home with more of the pain medication, and because we didn’t know, we gave him another dose like the vet said, and that evening Benjamin still was not doing well and the morning after his 4th dose he was sicker, and FORTUNATELY another vet clinic was on call and when we saw them they hospitalized him…and then we learned about Previcox. Based on what I’ve read from the internet, we are the lucky ones, Benjamin lived. And we have been referred to UF to help with what appears to be some residual symptoms from the medicine yet, although minor – – – way minor compared to his condition upon taking the medicine. But, what I learned from the homemade food preparation was that his every day all year long hair shedding the last four years isn’t simply due to his hair type…because while on the fish and cream of rice preparation during the period right before starting Nutro Natural Choice grain free Turkey & potato – – – he stopped shedding for the very first time since we rescued him four years ago.

On grain free, small breed, turkey meal & potato since 5/1/13 and started shedding by 5/9/13…still excessive shedding and comes out easily. Four days ago started excessive scratching. I bought a new bag 13 days ago and now wondering if it’s a bad batch? My neighbor asked me to buy her a bag of it yesterday and her batch looks different in color and the smell doesn’t seem to be as stinky as the last batch I just bought 13 days ago? Not sure I’m liking this but vets wanted my 5yo dachshund on this limited ingredient food to check for intolerances/allergies…

Hound Dog Mom

Patty and Jan are correct – All Wellness foods are now manufactured at the Wellpet plant. I verified this with Wellness a few months back. They left Diamond after the big recall last May.

Jan_Mom2Cavs

I heard the same thing Patty did…that Wellness left Diamond. Wellness Core is a fine food and Wellness is no worse than others in the recall dept. Please verify your facts before you state things emphatically.

Pattyvaughn

I’m sorry, I heard that they had left Diamond, but I would be the first person to admit I could be confused.

gracienglory

Wellness is made by the Diamond brand and is one of the worst for recalls.

http://www.facebook.com/diane.witt1 Diane Witt

which of the nutro did you feed her? Mine love the chicken with brown rice lite.

Pattyvaughn

Homemade food is definitely healthier than kibble if you do your research and do it right.

meekie

Patty, right now it’s just a possibility that it’s pancreatitis.The blood work hasn’t been done yet. Core on the other hand is above what I can afford to feed him. NUTRO that he was on is the chicken one. I am starting to think that if I boil chicken and a few of his other favorites,he will do fine.

Pattyvaughn

Take a look at Wellness Core Reduced Fat.

meekie

Hey folks,this week I was given some sad news with regards to my almost 3 yr old service dog who is a Miniature Schnauzer. The vet said she suspects that he has pancreatitis. This is with him being on NUTRO NATURAL CHOICE Grain Free(16% fat). I then did a search and found out that NUTRO has over 1300 complaints of the SAME signs and symptoms that my boy has. Have they done anything to fix the issues????NO.This was on a Consumer’s website. My vet has him on Royal Canin and that is now a problem cause he’s allergic to WHEAT,which I told her before hand that he has had issues with. Also,RC is now reported to be causing kidney failure in dogs,for which I have yet to see proof of it.

Jill

Thank you so very much for the info and the fast response!! I will read the attached link.

Hound Dog Mom

If the issues just started when you switched to Nutro and didn’t exist prior, I’d be inclined to assume he’s sensitive to an ingredient in the food. I’d day just try a new food (different brand) and see if things clear up.

If a change in food doesn’t help, my next guess would be yeast. Does he by any chance have a musty or “corn chip” smell? Your vet may be able to give you a definitive diagnosis. If it is yeast, then yes you would want to get him on a grain-free food that’s high in protein and low in carbohydrates. You would also want to supplement with probiotics, clean his ears daily and soak his paws daily (water, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide). Canned foods would be would be preferable to dry food because they’re typically higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates. Here’s some information on yeast, it might be able to help you determine if this is the issue:

Hi HDM! I just started my schnauzer on Nutro small breed and they seem to like it, however; one is chewing his paws and scratching his ears…I know this could be fleas, or mites (i don’t see anything in his ears or skin) do you think I should try grain free? He has had chicken and oatmeal (homemade and had no problems) The flapping ears, scratching ears and chewing paws has really gotten worse in the last week! Any advise would be most appreciated!
Is canned feed differently than dry?

Hound Dog Mom

Hi Juli –

Have you considered feeding him canned food, raw food, dehydrated food or fresh cooked food? These foods are often much more palatable than dry food and are highly appealing to finicky dogs – as an added bonus they’re healthier than dry food. If you don’t want to feed all canned, raw, dehydrated or fresh you could even try topping his kibble with one of these options to see if it makes the kibble more appetizing. Tripett is one canned product, in particular, that even the pickiest of dogs seem to go nuts for.

Juli

My dog has a gluten allergy I just had tried to transition him to blue wilderness, but it didn’t take he won’t eat it. He used to eat the store bought dog food with no problems. The associate from petsmart recommended nutrition sensitive diet lamb and brown rice. He even said to try freeze dried chix liver, but he still won’t eat it. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks

Mav246

It’s the protein that causes allergic reactions. There’s no protein in chicken fat.

Mav246

My dog has been on Nutro for almost 11 years now and at her senior checkup last year, the vet told me she in excellent health and has no problems! Amazing, I think at her age.

Melissaandcrew

Hi Adele-

Many people have different opinions on what works and what does not. Personally, I don’t think it has much to do with the food, but rather the area you live in, and soil type-as to whether you have flea problems or not. Those in warm moist climates seem to have the most issues. My guys eat combination-fresh, canned, kibble, commercial raw, and I have not had a flea issue here in years and years. We do get ticks from time to time, but more on the people than the animals! I use Frontline “as needed”-typically summer/fall when the ticks in our area are at their worst.

Years ago I lived in a place with very sandy soil, and we had issues with fleas which required we use a monthly preventative.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

It’s you all that I’m thankful for. I’m a much better pet guardian than I was before I came to DFA. I’ve learned so much here (nutrition and far beyond) that I’m able now to make much better choices for not only Sam and Arabella, but myself and my daughter as well. Thanks guys!

Pattyvaughn

Excellent news Betsy!!! Keep up the good work. Go Sam!

Hound Dog Mom

This is great news Betsy, I’m glad to hear everything is okay! With Sam’s good genetics and the care you taking in feeding and supplementing his diet I would have been very surprised if he had any sort of issues. It sounds like you’re on the right track to me and that you take very good care of him.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

Yay!!

Shawna

As she gets more and more healthy on the raw diet the flea issue should subside.. I have two Poms that get a raw diet. I do have the natural sprays but usually forget to use them. I also do give whole food b vitamins and garlic in addition to the raw diet — which both are supposed to help with fleas.
Both of my Poms have had reactions to vaccines.. I don’t give them any more either. If you research deeper you will find that they are actually not necessary after the initial puppy shots (except rabies due to laws).

Pattyvaughn

It could be where you live or because you haven’t been feeding raw long enough yet. I think our fleas would probably still feed on a raw fed dog if that was what was available. They are already known for feeding on non appropriate species and are pretty hard to kill. That being said, I have noticed that I don’t have as many fleas on my dogs as I used to, though they do at least slow down here this time of year.

Adele

Thanks for your reply. I will definitely check into that. The flea treatment I use (Trifexis) does not do ticks. I live in a very wooded area and occasionally do find ticks on my dog. When I do find them, they are very much alive and actively sucking her blood! She still got fleas with the Frontline Plus (even while on the raw diet) so I switched to Trifexis. I know a lot of people who feed raw are using the natural stuff and I wish I could. Maybe there is something different about Pomeranians but if I stop treating her, she immediately gets fleas.

Hound Dog Mom

Nice post Adele. I wholeheartedly agree. I feed all three of my dogs a homemade raw diet and they are so healthy. I fed top quality grain-free kibble, canned food and dehydrated before switching to raw and while they were healthy on these foods I definitely saw a difference when switching to raw. Even the highest quality kibble can’t compare to real species-appropriate food. The only thing I wanted to mention that you may want to consider is the flea protection – since switching to grain-free raw my dogs no longer need flea or tick protection. I know others that feed raw and their dogs don’t need flea protection either. Their immune system should be strong enough on a raw diet that they naturally repel fleas and ticks. I have hound dogs that are outdoors a lot and go hiking in the woods with me all the time and I have never found a tick on any of them, I also comb them with a flea comb daily and don’t find any fleas. I have a snap test done every three to four months at the vet’s and they’ve tested negative for all tick transmitted diseases each time. I do use some natural chemical-free sprays on them before taking them in the woods. I know several people who feed their dogs kibble and find fleas and ticks even with chemical preventatives. I know of four people (kibble feeders) over this past summer who have had their dogs on Advantix or Frontline and had them come up lyme positive…

Pattyvaughn

We should probably just say research your breed and know what they may be prone to, and make sure parents have been tested for it.

Adele Simons

I just wanted to post this comment. I have been feeding my Pomeranian Blue Wilderness since I started following the Dog Food Advisor. I changed veterinarians a few months ago and he suggested looking into feeding my dog real, actual food – not dog food. I started reading about it and about two months ago I started feeding my dog raw, human grade food. I weigh everything according to the calculation suggested. I feed raw chicken, raw beef, raw fish, organ meat, raw bone, etc. I admit it is more work than just pouring kibble out of a bag but, if you have the gumption and can afford to do this, you will be amazed at what happens to your dog. My Pom’s coat is now so thick that I can hardly feel down to her skin. She is up on her hind legs following me until I put her bowl down. Her energy level is astounding. She has not had a sick day since I started this new feeding regimen. I am very careful to do this properly (washing all utensils, etc.) but the difference is quite unbelievable. Also, her chewing on the raw beef ribs and other raw bones has removed all of the brown discoloration off of her teeth from the kibble. Dogs are descendants of wolves who killed their prey and ate everything raw. I still follow all regular vaccination rules, flea protection, etc. as suggested by the veterinarian. I just wanted to share this experience with the Dog Food Advisor community.

Hound Dog Mom

Thanks melissa. And good point about the elbow dysplasia, I left that one out!

Melissaandcrew

HDM-

Great reply! I just wanted to add that in breeds who are known to have elbow dysplasia, the elbows need to be x-rayed and cleared by OFA as well. Hip x-rays have no bearing on the elbow clearance.

Hound Dog Mom

I hope Sam’s appointment goes well and everything is okay!

aimee

How heartbreaking :’ ( I’m sorry you and beloved dog had to go through that.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

Thanks so much Patty! : )

Pattyvaughn

We’re praying for Sam too. Pano is easy to deal with… I’ve never had to deal with elbow dyplasia, so I don’t even know what’s involved with that. Hopefully, it’s nothing but a puppy crash and the adjustment will be a quick cure. That would be great. Now Sam, be a good boy for the doctor tomorrow;-)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

I’m praying Sam “only” has pano. I’m hoping we can get an x-ray tomorrow at the vet without sedating him. I’m not terribly hopeful though because he’s usually a maniac puppy when we’re there.

Anyway, we saw the TCVM that our vet referred us to yesterday morning. He needs the x-ray because Sam had noticeable soreness in his right elbow. He adjusted Sam and recommended that I use the turmeric and fish oil that I happened to have just bought. We’ll see him again soon and I’m feeling very hopeful because I could already tell that Sam was hardly favoring his right front paw at all after Dr. Dan adjusted him.

Oh and Sam came from a reputable breeder and his parents (etc.) all have OFA certified excellent hips. I’ve monitored the calcium, kept him lean and have definitely not over exercised him.

Pattyvaughn

I always went to good breeders but it wasn’t enough. I even had a Leerburg dog from before they started feeding raw. I fed Eukanuba back when it was supposedly a good food, obviously not for a large breed. There weren’t nearly so many options then as there are now.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

Oh my gosh, HDM, what a heartbreaking story. :’ (

Hound Dog Mom

Yeah I had a lab growing up that had horrible dysplasia. We got her from an ad in the free trader – knew nothing about responsible breeding, just though a dog was a dog. She starting having serious issues by the time she was only a couple years old. We had her x-rayed and the vet said her best option would be a hip replacement, we were quoted at (I believe) close to $10,000 with everything – surgery, meds, rehab, etc. and, unfortunately, my family just did not have that kind of money at that time. We ended up having her euthanized at 14 yearsold – not because she was dying but because she couldn’t get down the steps to go out to the bathroom and when she’d squat to pee she’d fall over. It was very sad. Probably from around 6 years on all she did was lay either on her bed on the porch or on her bed in the living room, she barely moved. She did however manage to get herself upstairs to sleep in one of the bedrooms every night…for awhile. One night I was in my room and I remember hearing this awful crying I went out of my room to look and she was half way up the stairs and couldn’t make it the rest of the way, she was starting to slide down. We had to gate off the staircase after that. It was so sad and I never wanted to have another dog that went through that. After researching I was amazing to find that good breeding practices can’t greatly reduce the risk and that there are dietary links. I like to let as many people know as possible the importance of going to a reputable breeder and feeding appropriately because I don’t want anyone to have to go through that with their own dog.

Pattyvaughn

I haven’t had a large breed since my last GSD died several years ago, but I have had my heart broken so many times because the breed I love best is so prone to hip dysplasia. I think if I knew then what I have learned from you, then several great dogs would not have been PTS at too young an age because of bad hips. I decided a long time ago that there were no more GSDs in my future but the future looks a little brighter now. So Thank You!!!

Hound Dog Mom

thanks patty!

Pattyvaughn

I was writing this as HDM replied. The reason I told you to read the comments was to find the research HDM did on appropriate puppy foods for large breeds. It’s an invaluable resource and she included it in her reply. She’s great!!!

Pattyvaughn

There was a theory which has been debunked that feeding too much protein to large breed puppies caused hip dysplasia. Your breeder may still hold that belief. There is a real issue with large breed puppies and excessive calcium, as well as problems with allowing them to become overweight, and exercised too much. All of these plus genetics play a role in hip developement.
Many breeders do feed adult food to their pups to slow growth which is the goal with large breeds. And many of the large breed puppy foods are not actually appropriate for large breed puppies because of excessive calcium.
For more info look for Dr. Mike’s article on the link between diet and hip dysplasia. Be sure to read the comments at the bottom.

Hound Dog Mom

Hi Catnola –

Many breeders feel that feeding high protein/high fat foods to large and giant breed puppies can cause growth issues (like hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and pano) – because puppy foods are generally higher in fat and protein than adult foods they recommend feeding adult foods. As a fellow large breed owner (I have bloodhounds) I can tell you high protein and high fat foods WILL NOT cause growth issues. Puppies need to be on a food approved for growth or all life stages. What can cause growth issues is: 1) overfeeding – keep your pup very lean while it’s growing, 2) high calcium levels (look for foods with 3.5 g. per 1,000 kcal. or less <1.3%),3) overexercising the pup while it's growing, 4) poor genetics (ALWAYS get a pup from a breeder that has OFA or Penn Hip clearances on the parents). I have a new pup (now 5 mo. old) that started on a controlled calcium raw diet when she came home at 8 weeks old. All three of my dogs eat raw – my 7 yo. male, 2 yo. female and 5 mo. female. Their meals are approximately 45-50%% protein, 35-40% fat, 15% carbs. I can tell you that I would never feed Nutro grain-free to any puppy (or adult for that matter) – it is WAY too low in protein (21% is hardly enough to survive on) and too low in fat as well. I think you'll find this article of interest, it's about nutrition for large breed puppies:

And here is a link to a document I put together with a list of 4 and 5 star grain-free foods with appropriate calcium levels for large breed puppies. All foods on this list are approved for growth or all life stages:

I just bought a 41/2 month old Bouvier des Flanders pup from a breeder. She insisted I feed her Nutro Choice Grain Free Lamb and potato for “adult dogs”..she sais never feed puppy food to a bouvier..Anyone have any thoughts ? I’m concerned that she may be missing some key ingerdiants.
Thanks,
Catherine

mhn4evr

My 2 yr. old GSD, who’s picky, would eat the old formula of Venison and Potato. For some reason she turns her nose up to the new formula. Any idea what they may have added to the new formula? Now I’m back to try and find something she’ll eat again.

Jnauerz

Tried the chicken and rice formula when I first rescued my greyhound 5 months ago, he wouldn’t go near it. Went on to try BB, Fromm, Merrick, & Blue Seal either he refused to eat or it ran right thru him. Have had him on the new formula Venison & Potato for about 2wks and it’s working out really well. Hope I don’t jinx myself but maybe I’ve finally found “the one”

melissa

Blessed-

I had that problem with NV Prairie formula, and eventually the beef/barley was recalled. Unfortunetly, if food is not stored properly, it can start to go rancid and cause that odor, so it may be that you got one bad bag. If you still want to use it, I would suggest buying from a different location in hopes that it was just a fluke.

Blessed

Did anyone have their bag of Venison and Potato smell really bad? I switched my dog to a new food after opening a bag of this brand an having it smell like manure. I liked the food and so did he, but the smell made me nervous.

Wms230

I just bought Large Breed Nutro Grain Free for my Rottie she is 1 1/2, I raised her so far on Blue and she had allergies and upset stomach. I started her on Nutro Grain Free and she wont stay out of the bag LOL I have caught her twice getting into it, and the remaining Bag of Blue sits beside it.
I think we found a new Dog Food lol
Thanks Nutro !!

Wms230

Hound Dog Mom

Hi Sharon,

If your dog has diabetes I wouldn’t recommend this food. It is grain-free but the protein content is extremely low and the carbohydrate content is high, this indicates to me that the second and third ingredients (white potatoes) are the main component of the kibble. White potatoes are high glycemic and no healthier than grains. I would recommend looking into a high protein, low carbohydrate food that doesn’t contain high glycemic grains or white potatoes. Some good options would be Dogswell Nutrisca, Darford Zero-G, Brothers or Nature’s Logic.

sharon

I need suggestions , my pack loves the
Venison Meal and Potato , I also have a diabetic dog , could one of your grain free foods work for her , she hates the food she is on , I mix alittle Venison in it she loves it .

Smithac3

Thanks. I was a little worried seeing the 3 star. And that’s good to hear about the chicken fat. She breaks out pretty quickly if she were to have an issue, so the fact she’s almost through an entire bag rash free is a good sign. I just registered her on the Nutro website and FYI they gave my a $3 coupon to print out.

BryanV21

I don’t think the star system is meant to say one food will be better for your dog than another, it’s just something to go by when trying to pick a food.

So the fact a 3-star one is working for you doesn’t really matter. All dogs have different needs and wants.

BTW, somebody else here said that chicken fat should not be an issue with dogs that have chicken allergies. I hadn’t heard that before, but just wanted to let you know of somebody else that has mentioned that.

Smithac3

I know this is an old post, but if you have a Petco card every 100$ you spend you get $5 reward bucks. Also if you go on Nutro’s website and register with them you can print off a $3 coupon and I heard they occasionally send out coupons.

Smithac3

Had my picky shihtzu on the Avoderm grain free Turkey. She went through an entire bag and then refused to eat it anymore. I went and bought the Nutro Grain free Lamb and she is lovin’ it! She likes the canned mixed with the dry once in awhile, but will eat it all with just dry. I see it’s being rated as a 3 star, I think it’s at least 4. My dog does great on this and likes it. She’s allergic to chicken, and though this has chicken fat in it, it doesn’t bother her at all. I read most allergies are caused by the protein and there is not chicken protein in the fat. Go figure. I’m just happy it’s affordable, healthy, she likes it and it doesn’t make her break out in a rash or sores. She also has no itching and her poo is firm. So far we love this stuff. Almost through our first bag. I’m crossing my figures.

Sheryl

I adopted my dog about a year and a half ago. She came to me a picky eater who wouldn’t eat dry dog food. She has had problems with diarrhea on and off during the time I’ve had her. She recently had to go on an intestinal diet food for about 3 weeks. I just transitioned her to the Nutro Natural Choice Venison. Her poo has never been better! I highly recommend this food.

Alex

Nutro makes very high quality products. My GSD loves this food, his coat is amazing and always has been (Nutro). No issues whatsoever with this product, dont let the shoddy 3 star review turn you away from Nutro products.

Thor

We switched our Great Pyrenees to this. The “NOW” ex is on the whole paleo kick and thought it would be great to switch the dog over to no gluten also. Though she is a nut with her diet, I find the dog food a good choice for him, where before he would get diarrhea with others or just have massive dumps, now he drops more compact and dry stool, Picking one up it broke apart like Equine stool, he loves it and since they have bacon grease in their house (paleo diet says its good for you.yuk!) I mix it up in his food at times and he still does great. I am going to read other reviews here, as I was thinking this food was five star and I see you have better ones.

luvmybullies

Not on their bag, I just checked. Try calling, that’s your best bet

Jan_Mom2Cavs

Hi! Nutro might have this information on their website if they don’t have it on the back of their bags of food. If not, then I suggest calling their customer service to find out this info.

Jdandkathy

what is the calories count in a cup of matural choice

Momknowsbest

Sorry to correct you but some of the products DO come from China. Yes they process what they purchase in their OWN facilities. Not many dog foods don’t have some sort of ingredients that come from China, mostly rice. They check the product under testing , but claiming it’s MADE in the USA doesn’t necessarily mean everything was grown here.

Tigerchotu

My dog loves the dry food , which I have been buying it for the past 9years but there has been changes in packaging, before they used to have $50 but nw its 30lb bag for the same price, kinda rip off

Kurt

I did finally get a response

“Thank you for contacting THE NUTRO COMPANY. We appreciate your feedback and the time
you took out of your day to contact us.

THE NUTRO COMPANY is committed to developing quality products which meet your pet’s
nutritional needs. Your confidence in our products and continued goodwill are very
important to us. Please give us a call at 1-800-833-5330, Monday through Friday,
between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Standard time if you would like
additional information.

Kurt

it’s not on their bags, it’s not on the website, and they haven’t responded to email in over a week.

thanks for your reviews though!

melissa

Kurt-

Additional information on the foods reviewed can usually be gotten by googling the product or checking out their own websites. It is disappointing that some foods do not have the kcals per cup listed on the bags. ugh

Kurt

I may just be missing it- but do you have a calorie count for this food- especially for the large breed lamb and potato?
thanks much!

http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

Hi Cherie,

I’m getting ready to soon update this review. However, since manufacturers sometimes test market some of their products in limited locations, it could cause some confusion if I were to add these 2 products before they are listed on the company’s website.

Because of your comment here, I’ll be sure to remain on watch for the new recipes.

Thanks for the tip.

Cherie

Mike,
Natural Choice just came out with 2 new grain free Fish and Potato and Small Breed Fish and Potato Petsmart has it for sale but its not there website yet the Nutro Rep said they trying it Petsmart first.

My Min Pins do not do well on Gluten, one especially was getting arthritis. Now she plays like a puppy and has lost weight. They all love the taste, and love they way they feel. It is kinda expensive, but better than Vet bills for arthritis, and having fat lazy acting dogs. I use the Vinson, My dogs get Carrots for low calorie treats so they don’t need the vegetables. It is enough protein, as they are shiny and healthy and feel so good now. They are not hunting dogs who need 26% protein

http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

Hi Seattlepits,

You’re right about the cellulose ingredient. This is an earlier review. And I no longer describe this item in this way. Cellulose is usually a by-product of vegetable processing.

However, the ingredients listed at the time I wrote this review in February, 2011, were clearly not chelated (on the list).

Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

Dog Food Ninja

Seattlepits, the turkey meal is overcome handily by the potatoes because there are two potato ingredients after the turkey, plus that is proved by the very low protein in this food. 23% protein is garbage. There is no carbs and very little fat left in a meat meal, so it’s quantity in the finshed product is can be estimated fairly accurately by looking at the protein %.

Seattlepits

All of Nutros minerals are chelated by the way, call their nutrition line. Dont think they use cotton or sawdust for cellulose, but actually a certain vegtable. Glad to see you not knock beet pulp, it does encourage growth of good bacterias though making probiotics, which are a bit controversial, unnecessary. Turkey meal def adds more meat weight to the kibble than turkey so not sure if you’re correct on potato outweighing it, but for allergies that would not be a negative. Fair review though!

melissa

Moneky-

I get mine at Walmart. They are about $1 a can-

Mike P

Imthemonkey you can rinse the sardines and that may help a little. I wash them down and lightly fry them with an egg ,until the egg whites start to become visable.About 15 seconds then mix it in with her kibble.After our morning hike today she will get hearts,livers,and gizzaards fried the same way with an egg and mixed with kibble.Tonight for supper it’s a cup of kibble with a little yogurt.Great doggy day…

Anonymous

I saw 2 kinds on Amazon with free shipping, Monkey

Anonymous

I just wish i could find sardines packed in water without salt. All i can find is Salmon like that so thats what im using instead right now.

melissa

I agree with you Mike P. The toppers is one of the reasons that I have no problem feeding a food such as Pro Pac on occassion as part of my rotation, with a slightly lower protein. I recently added in Hi Tek Naturals Grain free. So far, so good and the dogs love it

Mike P

It seems to me that the difference between ok kibble and the better ones is about 10 bucks.Adding real meat/sardines/eggs/yogurt/veggies and the like make any kibble better.A pretty cost effective way to go.

Rskuhn

Tricia – Unless Nutro owns the farms and all their ingredient suppliers, they may not control as much as you may have been led to believe. Bulk foods and ingredients travel around the world and are often relabeled, repackaged and graded with minimal inspections or QC. When China sells bulk ingredients to a large US food company who then repackages and sells to Nutro, where is the ingredients from? US or China? How does Nutro or you know for sure?

Anonymous

Whatever makes you feel comfortable Tricia. I’d just stay away from their formulas that have menadione. My brother used to feed Natural Choice to his dogs (before i knew anything about dog food) and you could see his dogs skin and hair getting worse. One of them would throw up a couple times a month. I finally started seeing what was up and they have since been switched.

Tricia

Not everyone has the time or money to feed large breed dogs or any size dog for that matter, the way you do. Yes vitiams & NEEDED nutrients are needed in their food, same as your body needa them.

Tricia

Nutro has been around 80 -90 i believe. years and did not advertiise until this year. Top selling premium dog & cat food, one person telling another person. Pretty impressive! Thats how I found the BEST dog & cat food. All other companies have advertised for years.

Tricia

To much GAS with BB

Tricia Seacrist

NOTHING comes from China. Nutro food is processed in Nutro owned facilities in the USA! Nutro has controll over all ingredients, anything coming is tested by Nutro to make sure ingredients met Nutro specification of TOP QUALITY. They do hundreds of quailty check a day. The Nutro Co. has a long history of caring for our dogs & cats. I feed all Nutro Products. Mine love it. Grain Free is is awsome. Have used NUTRO Ultra , Natural Choice, Venison senitive stomach and skin & coat. No more skin issues, great coat. I recommend Nutro to all I know!

http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

Panda2
This site isn’t affiliated, in any way, with the manufacturer. It’s the project of a very dedicated man who cares about dogs and their nutrition. He started it so that consumers could make informed decisions.

Panda2

I was very happy with this food (venison) since it came out. My dog with multiple allergies and chronic loose stools improved so much for the first time in 4 years his stool was normal. The last 2 bags I bought seem different, there are changes in size, color, smell and hardness. My dog refused to eat it. I found a bag of the older version and once again he gobbled it up. That strong meaty smell is gone and it smells like cereal. I’m going to have to find another dog food. This is the only dog food (new version of venison) he has ever refused to eat. What happened? Did you change ingredients?

After reading this I went to my local pet store to see what I could get my dog as an alternative to this.
The girl there recommended Vet’s Choice Grain Free so I bought a 4lb. bag to see how he likes it.
I picked up a bag of their treats to.

sandy

It has below average protein and above average carbs compared to its peers. This grain free line even has less meat than their regular grain inclusive line. Small breed chicken and brown rice has 26.6 and small breed puppy has 31.1. True they made a grain free food…but they didn’t make one that leans towards being species appropriate.

Bobby

This food is Grain Free unlike the other Nutro Natural Choice & doesn’t have Menadione in comparison to the Regular Nutro Natural Choice but yet has the same exact rating.
I don’t get that.

Barbara

I have been feeding my dogs the grain free ever since Neutro Natural came out with it. My dogs love it and they are very healthy. I am very pleased and will continue to feed my dogs this great food.

sandy

This food is an example of Nutro jumping on the grain-free bandwagon but not actually making a good product! Not enough meat (23 on dry matter, come on) and too much carbs, too much potato.

lynda

After feeding 2 bags of this food, both dogs have gained a lot of weight on not much food. Will change off.

melissa

Alyssa-

I feed the venison variety to a dog that had skin/stomach issues and all seems to be well with him-ears still a bit funky, but nothing like they were!

lynda

Yes! I picked up a small bag of the turkey and have had great results for one of my dogs with hot spots. We’ll use up the bag and see if we will continue. BM’s looking better now after a week and a half.

Alyssa

I have two dobermas — one is 11 months and one is 4. The puppy has had a VERY hard time digesting food and we’ve been on Nature’s Recipe Grain Free easy-to-digest for the past 6 months with no problem — until recently, he started to have a skin irritation and “growing pains”. The vet recommended Nutro Grain Free because of its low calcium and I’m just curious if anyone has a pup with stomach allergies and has had success with this food!

http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

Hi Harriet… Unfortunately, due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, I cannot provide customized product comparisons for each reader. For more help, please check out my reviews and visit our FAQ page. Look for the topic, “Help Me Choose a Dog Food”. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

Harriet

Hi, I have 3yrs old yorkie dog but she has bad plms of itching all the times but I need to know what is best for her of Nutro Natural choice grain free to help stop itching but what is the kind of food ? let me know thank u

Jonathan

Gordon is absolutely right, and that the best function of this website… educating people and getting them to at least step up a star or two! Beneful is one of the most notably awful dog foods on the market. You went from feeding your dog Big Mac scraps from McDonald’s dumpster to feeding him garden salads and grilled chicken from Wendy’s. Much better.

http://www.drianbillinghurst.com Gordon

I meant if “your Vet”, not “you’re Vet”.

http://www.drianbillinghurst.com Gordon

Bobby – If you’re Vet recommended it, and it resulted in your dog’s health improvement and you weened it onto this from Beneful (Utter garbage) then stick with it, I say. The 3 stars it was given was probably due to the fact is too high in carbs and the likelihood of the 2 potato ingredients which Nutro decided in splitting, so that the turkey meal could appear the heaviest ingredient first. Read Mike’s explanation of ‘The Deceptive Practice of Ingredients Splitting’ at http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-industry-exposed/ingredient-splitting/

The other drawback here that, for example, unlike the 5 star rated grain free kibbles, is that this contains sawdust in the form of powdered cellulose, which has no added nutrition to be gained, and chelation of minerals are apparent here.

But if you’re going to choose between Beneful or this, whatever you do, for the sake of the health of your dog, stay away from Beneful!!!

Bobby

Wow. I can’t believe this only received 3 stars.
My Vet recommended I switch my dog from what He used to eat Beneful to Nutro because of his flaky, itchy skin condition.
So it was not long after Nutro came out with a Grain Free version so I bought that.
I bought him The Turkey & Potato one in the review.
Surprising it only receives 3 stars here. My dog loves it and it’s certainly helped him as far as his itching and his stool isn’t soft and watery.
It’s the only food I’m going to buy him from now on.

charlotte

This was really expensive feeding 2 GS dogs $46 for a 24 pound bag at Petsmart. I switched to Evolve which this site has rated 4 stars. I get a 15 pound bag for $19 at my local supermarket. No corn, wheat or soy, limited ingredient. It’s working out fine.

Marta

Recently we started introducing our GSD to this food after an episode of food poisoning on eukanuba large breed and vet bill of $700. My only concern at this time is the size of the kibbles. As soon as my dog started eating this food she started to choke on it , it looks like the kibbles are too small for her to chew and shes forced to swallow them whole. I just wonder if anybody else with a large breed dog has noticed the same problem? Great website. Thank you.

Jonathan

Lori, did you transition from Venison and Rice to this? If you didn’t transition, that could have been the problem. By the way, if you want a low-allergen food that doesn’t contain synthetic vitamin k, take a look at Natural Balance LID’s. Also, if the allergy isn’t related to any of the “better” grains, Blue Lamb and Rice, Wellness Lamb and rice, Earthborn Ocean… really any corn, wheat, soy, and chicken free 4-star food would probably be just fine. And all of those cost about the same as Nutro yet are better products.

Lori L.

Not good. My English Bulldog has mild allergies and I was hoping this might be a helpful change. However, the poor thing is pooping (not kidding) at least 6 times a day. And, even though I let her out right before bedtime (11pm) she cannot hold it until 6am. The only change for her has been this food. She had been on the Nutro Venison and Rice in the past ….. and will be back on it effective today!

http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

Hi Mary… Unfortunately, companies change their sources with each batch. Certain vitamins are not readily obtainable from US sources and are frequently purchased by manufacturers from foreign locations (including China). This is why it’s impossible to reliably track this information for the thousands of products covered on our website. You’ll need to call Nutro to get current information on their recipes. Wish I could be more help.

Mary

Does anyone know if any of the ingredients are from China?

mickey

Ran into the Nutro rep. while in process of buying Blue Buff. based on reviews on this website… He sold us (w/a $5 coupon) on the Nurtro grain free and said if we didn’t like it when we hit the halfway mark, bring it back for a full refund. Since we were using Beneful (yikes! I read that scary review) we were looking for a grain free and I thought I saw Nutro in the five stars… Oh well, live and learn. Great website, you’ll be liked on my Facebook account & we’re waiting for the Blue Buff. coupon in the mail.

Meagan in Iowa

This is $43 for a 24# bag when you could buy Blue Wilderness for two dollars more. At least in my area And its 5* compared to 3*

ShamelessRawFoodie

georgie – I would agree with you that “this food is amazing” if poops are smaller, etc. …
because…. the Nutro Grain-Free has less protein and more carbs than Nutro Natural Choice (% avg for brand).
Do you think the dried potatoes, potato starch, and powdered cellulose aren’t as carb-bulky in the GF, over the NC rice, rice flour, rice bran, and whole brown rice?
Just wondering how it’s possible to have smaller poops less often with more carbs and less protein.

georgie

My dog has been on this food for about a month now. Switched her from Nutro Natural. Anyway, this food is amazing in that she is feeling great and her poops are smaller and she goes less often. I think that’s good

erin c.

Menadione is still in their cat food!

They probably had a bunch left over and didn’t want to toss it. UGH!!!

erin c.

Being so high priced explains why they keep having $5 off coupons in the newspaper.

The ad doesn’t say it has protein in it. It just emphasizes GRAIN FREE, which is what people are told to look for.

Which came first advertisers or politicians?

Melissa

I bought a small bag of this last week when I noticed it(oh, and there was a $5 coupon inside for my next purchase, lol) I will say two things-

Mike’s review is dead on and exactly what I thought it would be, and 2) the food DID do what I intended it to do(food allergy/gastrointestinal issue) Course, the Nutro Venison and Brown rice also worked, at a smaller price : ) For someone desperate for a diet to help sensitive stomachs, I would suggest the purple bag Nutro Natural Choice(venison) simply because it did the same thing, at a lower price and its all life stages. Now to move onto something better now that the old “pipes” are functioning for the gal!

Excellent review!!! I hope more people discover this site and stop referring to those ridiculous so-called “reviews” at dogfoodanalysis which are apparently written by people who know nothing about dog food.

Cathy

The Nutro Grain Free products are also marketed as a Limited Ingredient Diet.

Being both Grain Free and Limited Ingredient, this could work very well for dogs with allergy or sensitivity issues. It’s just such a shame that these formulas are so low in meat protein and so high in carbs. In my local PetSmart, these new Nutro products are pricier than Blue Buffalo Grain Free which has 34% protein, and pricier than Nature’s Recipe new Grain Free at 27% protein

I believe the Prescription formulas for sensitivities are higher priced, and have low protein, so this Nutro product could be a viable alternative for those situations.

But, a raw REAL FOOD meat-based diet can be fed (grain free and few ingredients) for not much more $$ and a lot less vet bills! Maybe people like to pay alot for a bag of potatoes with a little meat and some added nutrients? Oh… the convenience of fast food.